Decent for home use but not very portable (Sony Vaio FZ21M)

Member Name: agarciavalino

Product:	Sony Vaio FZ21M
Date:	27/10/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality build and appearance, decent specifications

Disadvantages: Poor battery life, screen not good in light or when viewing from angles, hard drive reliability

When I discovered this laptop for a very reasonable price I thought I had stumbled upon a bargain. Having owned a Vaio in the past I have always been incredibly impressed with the build quality of Vaio laptops.
This one was to give the same impression on opening. Packaging was of a typical Vaio high standard and the product looked and felt sturdy and well built. Although a few years old now the computer is still has decent enough specifications to play a good selection of modern games.
On starting up I was happy with the boot time and all the drivers were installed and I didnt need to mess about with messy installation software. I was disappointed however that this computer did not come with a windows or reboot CD, though this seems to increasingly be the case with PC's and Laptops.
In terms of the running however I have had some trouble with this computer. The hard drive has broken twice and appears to be on the way out again as it randomly starts clicking and freezing up. I have also become increasingly irritated with what can only be considered a miserably battery life. Even on changing the power management settings I was only able to squeeze a bit more life out of the laptop. This reduces its credentials dramatically as a mobile PC.
Overall I feel the laptop is very well built and looks very well. the keyboars is easy to use, the track pad is a decent size and works well, The screen sports a decent contrast ratio though doesnt impress very much when it comes to viewing angles. Whilst I would recommend this as a mobile home PC, I would not recommend it as a mobile device due to its weight, poor battery life and the fact the screen struggles with both viewing angles and reflection.

Summary: A decent effort from Sony Vaio but more of a mobile home PC and that truly mobile device

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